Recent 80 Somali Minnesotans were charged in connection to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Prosecutors claimed Somalians living in Minnesota stole hundreds of millions of dollars from a fund that was supposed to be used for feeding hungry children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fraud scheme also involved Somalians fraudulently obtaining funds through autism service centers.

Asha Farhan Hassan, age 28, was charged today by federal information with wire fraud for her role in a $14 million autism fraud scheme. Hassan was also charged with participating in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, for which she received $465,000. “Today’s charges mark the first in the ongoing investigation into fraud in the EIDBI Autism Program,” said Acting U.U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money.”

The EIDBI program provides medically necessary, early and intensive intervention for people with ASD and related conditions. ABA therapy seeks to improve social skills by rewarding and reinforcing positive behavior while discouraging negative behavior. The EIDBI benefit covers various treatment options for persons diagnosed with ASD and related conditions, including ABA therapy. EIDBI treatment services must be delivered under the supervision of a Qualified Supervising Professional (or “QSP”) that is employed by the EIDBI provider.

In response to the crimes, President Trump stopped all deportation protections for Somalians in Minnesota. “Minnesota, under Governor [Tim] Walz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity,” Trump posted on Truth Social. He continued, “I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota.” Trump claimed that “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s Over!”

Minnesota has a sizable Somali population and the TPS program allows Somali nationals temporary legal status to live and work in the U.S. because of the dangerous conditions in the African country. In the last several years, the state has faced fraud problems, most notably from the Feeding Our Future scheme, which embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 funds. The president’s decision comes as a new investigation from the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, alleged that millions of dollars were being funneled to the Somali terror group Al-Shabaab in connection with the Feeding Our Future scam.